Add Attic Insulation Over a Cathedral Ceiling

LESLIE: Alexandra in New York is having some issues heating a room with a cathedral ceiling and needs help with insulation. What can we do for you?

ALEXANDRA: Yes, I have a ranch house that I built about four years ago and it has an open-air architect, you know; and with a cathedral ceiling. And no matter how high I set the setting on the thermostat, the house always gets cold in the winter.

TOM: You have a ceiling fan in that cathedral ceiling room?

ALEXANDRA: Yes, I do.

TOM: OK, and do you have it set so that it reverses in the winter time and pushes the warm air back down again?

ALEXANDRA: Yes.

TOM: OK.

ALEXANDRA: But it still is not warm enough. This is an open setting. It has – with a living room, dining room and kitchen all one and it’s one big, large room. Now, they put insulation in the attic floor. How can I put more insulation there?

TOM: If you have an actual cavity …

ALEXANDRA: Yes.

TOM: … above that drywall, that you can get to, then you can add more insulation. Now the insulation standards have changed in the last four years and you said you have blown-in. Today you want to have about 22 inches of blown-in fiberglass insulation in that space.

ALEXANDRA: Twenty-two inches.

TOM: If you don’t have that much, you perhaps could add some more but I would also caution you to make sure that you add some additional ventilation; perhaps a ridge vent or a soffit vent or both to make sure that you’re flushing moisture out of that attic because you don’t want it to be trapped inside that space either.